Explosive-engine.



Patented Mar. I8, |902.

w. L. Junsou. ExPLoslvE ENGINE.

(Application led Jan. 11, 1901.)

9 Shasta-Sheet I.

(P Io Model.)

Aw/QJ@ (No Model.)

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'Patented Mar. I8, |902. W. L. JUDSON.

EXPLUSIVE ENGINE.

(Application filed Jan. 11', 1901.)

9 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Mu/WWW wv @n No. 695,73I. Patented Mar. I8, |902. W. L. JUDSDN.

EXPLOSIVE. ENGINE. (Application led Jan/11, 1901.) (no Model.) 9 sheets-sheet 4.

Kn/ m No. 695,73l. Patented Mar. I8, |902. W. L. JUDSON.

EXP'LOSIVE ENGINE.

(Application filed Jan. 1X, 1901.)

(No Model.)

mewonms Pernis co. mornufnfoz. wAsMmcmu, o. c.

No. 695,731. Ptunted Mar.'.|8, |902.

W. L. JUDSON.

EXPLUSIVE ENGINE.

(Application led Jan. 11, 1901.) I

9 Sheets-Sheet 6.

(No Model.)

- lll' No. 695,73l. Patentad Mar. I8, |902.

W.L. JUDSON.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

(Application led Jan. 11, 1901.)

9 Sheets-Sheet 7.

(No Model.)

' No. 695,73I. Patented Mar. I8, |902 W. L. JUDSON.

' ExPLoslvE ENGINE.

(Application filed Jan. l1, 1901.) No Model.) 9 Sheets-Sheet 8.

No. @9533s. Patented Mar. la, |902.

w. L. Junsun.

' ExPLoslvE ENGINE.

I (Application led Jan. 11, 1901.) (No Model.) '9 sheets-snm s;

Urrea Straaten afrenta triton.

VIIITCOMB LQ JUDSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ExPLos'lvE-ENGINE.

SPEOIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 695,731, dated March 18, 1902.

Application tiled January 1l, 1901. Serial No. 42,894. (No model.)

To @ZZ 10.72.0111/ it may concern:

Beit known that I, WHircoMB L. JUDsorLav citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ot' Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Im-` provements in Explosive-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an efficient engine of compact form. The engine is organized for use as an explosive-engine; but many of the features are capable of general application in many classes of engines regardless of the form of the motive away and others removed. Fig. 2 is a left-Y end elevation with respect to Fig. 1 with some parts broken away. Fig. 3 is a vertical central longitudinal section on the line 053 @n3 of Fig. 2. Fig. Ll is a vertical cross-section substantially on the line co4 mi of Figs. l and 3 with some parts broken away. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section on the line c5505 of Figs. l and 3. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section on the line 036 o6 of Figs. l and 3. Fig. 7 isa detail in plan,showing the thrust-ring detached. Fig. S is a detail in plan, showing the holder for the ball-bearings detached with a portion broken away. Fig. 9 isa cross-section on the line x9 so of Fig. 8. Fig. lOis a detail in leftend elevation, showing the controller which carries the valve-gear cams and the controlling-contact'oi' the igniter-circuit. Fig. ll is a detail in section on the line x11 on of Fig. l0; and Fig. l2 is a view in diagram for illustrating the relative actions of the plurality of engine-pistons at any given time, the central portion of the view being a true crosssection on the line om m12 of Figs. l and 3 and the radial portions of the view being vertical central longitudinal sections through the engine-cylinders, but with the same turned out, so as to stand radial to the central portion ot' the view.

The main frame is shown as of oblong form and made up of a base-section ct having a pair of end pedestals a c2. To the base @between the pedestals d and d2 is bolted or otherwise rigidly secured a main casting c. This casting is of proper form to afford the main bearing c' for the shaft b, which also has a bearing at its right end in the pedestal a2. The casting c is of proper form to afford a series of cylinders c2, closed at their left-hand end and open at their right-hand end,arranged in a circle concentric to the shaft b, like the chambers of a revolver, and to afford a common valve-chest c3 of annular form,with ports to the inner ends of the respective cylinders c2 controlled by spring-seated intake-valves c4, mounted in removable radially-seated plugs c5. The main casting c is also of proper form to afford a common exhaust-chamber c6,with ports from the inner ends of the respective cylinders c2 controlled by exhaust-valves c7, which are spring-seated and normally held by their respective springs in their closed position. The exhaust-valves c7 are also carried by removable plugs 08, applied parallel to the shaft b. The bodies of the exhaustvalve stems are shown as of angular form in cross-section (square) and work through corresponding openings in their holding-plugs, thereby preventing the exhaust-valves from turning on their seats. The stems of the eX- haust-valves a8 carry rollersl cw, applied to the Valve-stems by holders o" of propershape to bring the rollers c10 to the required positions for cooperation with the series of profile cams f, projecting from the inner face of a cam-ringf', suitably mounted on a controlling disk or wheel f2, which is journaled in the left-end frame-pedestal 0.', as best shown in Figs. l and 2, andsecured thereto, with freedom for rotary motion thereon, by a washer-cap f3 and a screw-bolt f4, working through the cap and tapped into the journal of the Wheel f2. The controllingwheel f2 is provided with an internal gear f5, which is engaged byteeth, affording a pinion end b at the left-hand extremity of the shaft l). The pinion b and the internal gearf on the controllcrf2 are related as one to two, so

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thatl the shaft may turn twice While the controller turns once. This aords the proper relations for operating the Vexhaust-valve c8 from thev profilel camsfon the cam-ringf at the proper times relative to each other, assuming the said camsf to be properly positioned. The controller f2. is provided with segmental slots f6, through which work screW-boltsfl, that are tapped into the cam-ring f'. AThis affords a rmeans'oi shifting the cam-ring f through ninety degrees and securing the same at either limit of its possible adjustment rigidly to the rotary controller f2. This is for the purpose of permitting the engine to be run in either direction, according to the position in which the cam-ringf may be set on the controller f2. Y

On the shaft b is fixed a crank b2 at an o'blique angle to the axes of the several cylinders c2.

crank itself relative to the axes of the cylinders c2. The thrust-ring b3 is shown as provided lwith a series'of radial arms b4, which terminate in round or ball-like tips. The

'thrust-ring is also provided at one point With.

a radial arm b5, having a cross-head b, which embraces a segmental guide 67, that is bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the base-plate a of the iixed frame. By this cross-head and guide the thrust-ring b3 is free for angular motion 'lengthwise-of the shaft, as required under the rotary motion of the crank b2,- but is held stationary in respect to the rotary motion of the shaft. In other words, the thrustring has a wabble motion, but no rotary motion. cross-head and guide. f

In the cylinders c2 are mounted'corresponding'pistons g, which are suitably coupled to the crank by meansof piston-rods g and halfsocket bearings g2 g3, which embrace the balltips on the radial arms b4 of the thrust-ring members g2 are fixed to the hollow pistonrods` gand the inner members g3 are fitted to -work therein as plungers and are subject to sti compression-springs g4, which react ,between the plungers g3 and the inner end of tween the crank b2 and the shaft-bearing afforded by the end pedestal t2-is also taken onv ball-bearings b1?. The ball-bearings b9 and bllare carried by two-part holders b10(best shown. in Figs; .8 and 9) the face-plates of `which are suitably perforated to afford holding-seats b1? for the balls, thus properly spacing the same apart While permitting-the protruding portions of the balls to Work against .102. On the. crank b2 is loosely seated a vthrust-ring b3, set in the same plane as the It is held from rotary motion by itse Ot said half-socket bearings thefouter' The piston-rods g aref the proper bearing-surfaces in a manner which is obvious from an inspection of Figs. 3, 8, and 9.

The valve-chest c3 is shown in Fig. 4 as tapped by a Vaporizer h of any suitable form, such as any of the standard makes, having supply-'pipe 7i. for the gasolene and h2 for the air and subject to a suitable controllingvalve h3.

The exhaust-chamber c6 is tapped by an eX- haust-pipe 7c. (Best shown in Figs. 2 and 4.)

The shaft b is shown as provided with a suitable fly-wheel 1913.

-The main casting c is of proper form to at'- ford a chamber for cooling-Water w, which is kept in circulation in any suitable way,v the same, as shown, being` supplied through supply-pipe w and passed out through the pipe The Water-chamber is so located as to bring the Water well into contact with all the cylinders o2 and a considerable portion of the valve-chambers.

For firing the charges I employ electric igniters, v(pret`erably,) and for supplying the current I have shown (in Fig. l) in diagram a generator@ of the Well-known autosparking type, which is driven from the fly-Wheel b in the usual way. Only the generator-terminal portions ofthe leads p of the primary circuit are shown. It has not been thought necessary to show the induction-coil and connections between the primary and secondary circuit. The secondary-circuitleads are illustrated in Fig. 2 withA portions broken away and are marked r r6, respectively. The jump-spark plugs q are tapped into the cylinders c2 in the usual or any suitable Way, with the jump-contacts properly positioned to ignite the charge when the'secondary circuit is closed. As shown, the plugs q are so mounted that the sparkingterminals are Withinsmall chambers that open into the explosion ends of the cylinders c2. From the lead r of the secondary circuit brauch leads r2 extend through the sparking-plugs g to one member of a pair ofA` insulated contacts r3, mounted in the end pedestal a', and from the other member of said pair of contacts r3 a conductor T5 connects with the return lead r6 of the secondary circuit. On the outer face .of -the rotary controller 'f2 is mounted an insulated circuit-controlling contact r4 of the proper length to connect-the pair of-contacts r3, for which purpose the inner ends of the contacts r3 project into the path of the controlling-contact r4, carried by the controller. The pairs of insulated contacts r3, lfix-ed in the pedestal a', are properly located for cooperation with the controllingcontact 'r4 in the proper succession for firing the proper cylinders. This relation of theinsulated contacts r3 in the pedestal ct to the sparking-plugs q with which they connect is best shown in Fig. 2, and the timing Will-better appear in tracing thevgeneral actions of the machine as an entirety, Vwhich will now be done. For this purpose attention is es- ICO IIO

pecially called to the diagram view, Fig. 12. It should iirst be noted that these explosiveengines are of the four-stroke cycle type. Hence the valve-gear and engine-shaft must be related as two to one. Otherwise stated, the shaft is turned twice, while the rotary controller f2, with the parts carried thereby, turns once. This is secured by the relation of the pinion end b of the shaft b to the internal gear f5 on the controller f2, as hitherto stated. It is incidental to said relations, or, in other words, to said four-cycle type, that the plurality of engines must aggregate an odd number and that the cycle of actions must alternate between the odd and even numbered sets of engines.

For the purpose of better tracing the actions the cylinders and, so far as necessary, the parts which coperate with the respective cylinders are numbered from l to 7, inelusive. ln other words, the cylinder whose connecting-rod takes hold of a thrust-pin at the upperdead-center, as shown in Fig. 3, is numbered l and the other cylinders are numbered consecutively in the order of sequence in the direction of the rotation of the shaft b and the crank b2. The several cylinders are of course properly spaced apart from each other, and their several piston-rods take hold Qf the thrust-ring b3 at different points circumferentially thereof. Owing to the fact that the crank-diskb2 sets at an oblique angle to the axes of the engine-cylinders, it follows that under the resolution of forces from the working strokes of the pistons the crank b2 and the shaft b will receive a rotary motion. It further follows that the thrust-ring b3 has a wabble motion in respect to the shaft, the part thereof on one side of a vertical line through the axis of t-he shaft moving length- Wise of the shaft in one direction, while the other part moves lengthwise of the shaft in the opposite direction. Hence it follows that all the pistons on one side of this dividingline must be moving out when those on the other side thereof are moving in. In the diagram view, Fig. 12, the observer is supposed to be looking from the left, and the central portion of the view is shown as the parts would appear on the section-line x12. The arrow shows the direction of rotation of the shaft b. The vertical line .a is an imaginary line through the axis of the shaft with a view of considering the sets of cylinders which connect to opposite halves of the thrust-ring b3. If cylinder numbered l be assumed to be at the upper dead-center at the given instant, as stated, and an explosion be just taking place therein, then the actions taking place in the other cylinders will be as marked thereon in Fig. 12. For example, cylinder 2 will be exhausting, cylinder 3 will be compressing, cylinder 4 will be exhausting, cylinder 5 will be charging, cylinder 6 will be working, and cylinder 7 will be charging.

To make the valve motions come right, the

profile cams f must of course be properly disposed on the ring f. The seven calnsf are in concentric arrangement on therin g f and each cam f is ninety degrees behind the point on the ring which Will be opposite to the exhaust-valve of the engine that is controlled by that particular cam at the instant of explosion. Hence under the two-to-one motion the exhaust will begin after the shaft has made a half-turn, thereby moving the controller f2 and cam-ring f a quarter-turn, or ninety degrees. This makes all the actions come right, so far as the opening of the exhaust-valves is concerned.

Respecting the ignition, itis probably sufficient to state that the insulated spring-contacts r3 in the pedestal a are properly located with respect to the rotary motion of the controller f2 and the bridge-contact r4 carried thereby to close the secondary circuit through the proper plug at the proper time under the rotary motion of. the controller timed, as stated, to turn once while the engine-shaft turns twice. Hence it happens, as will appear from an inspection of Fig. 2, that the particular contacts r3, which cooperate with the bridge-contact rtto close the secondary circuit through the jump-spark plug q for any given cylinder, may not be located either directly opposite or any ways near the particular engine wherein the explosion is to take place. It is obvious, however, that the wiring can be arranged to effect the firing, as desired, in the required order for the proper action of the several engines. This arrangement is clear from the illustration given in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing statements and the showing made in the diagram view, Fig. 12, it is obvious that one or more of the pistons is always delivering a Working stroke to the thrust-ring Z13 and through the same to the crank b2. Hence the shaft can be kept in continuous motion under the use of four-stroke cycle explosive-engines Without requiring a heavy fly-Wheel. In fact,'the fly-Wheel may be extremely light or possibly be dispensed with altogether. It is also obvious that the pistons deliver their working strokes to the thrust-ring and crank under a yielding action. This is important for securing the best results with a plurality of engines thus coupled to a common crank. With the use of a spring it is not necessary that the relative timing of the engines to the motion of the crank should be such as to permit the independent actions of the pistons, because the pistons under the working stroke can compress the springs, thereby storing up the power which may be delivered from the springs to the thrust-pin as rapidly as permitted under the rotary motion of the crank. The springs of course serve the further function of cushions, avoiding' breakage and violent shocks. The ball-andsocket connections between the piston-rods and the pistons at one end and the thrust-pin IOO IIO

at the other are desirable as the best provision for permitting the necessary angular motions of the coupled parts. The use of the left-hand end of the crank-shaft as a pinion in coperation with the internal gear on the controller f2 affords an extremely simple way of getting the desired two-to-one motion required to operate the exhaust-valves and the igniters. It must be further obvious that with this design of engine great compactness of structure is secured, thereby enabling relatively large power to become available with the use of comparatively little weight. These various features especiaily adapt this engine for use on automobiles.

While the engine, asillustrated, is designed as a four-cycle explosive-engine, it must be obvious that some of the features involved are capable of use on engines employing other forms of fluid-pressure. This has been defined as set on an oblique angle with reference' to the axis'of the cylinder or the axis of a series of cylinders rather than with reference to the axis of its own rotation, for the reason that the crank might be carried on a shaft-section which was itself set at an angle to another shaft-section d riven thereby, thereby securing the necessary Obliquity or the proper angular relation for coupling the same to the piston-rods of a series of engines which might be mounted to turn with the driven section of saidtwoshaftmembers. Infact,lhaveworked outsuch a design wherein the plurality of engines,wi th theirvalves,&c. are all mounted to revolve together about a common axis and the several pistons are coupled to a crankdisk on a shaft-section which is set at an angle to the axis of the engines rotation or main shaft-section and connects thereto by bevelgearing out on the adjacent ends of the two shaft-sections. That modification gives me what I call anaircooled gas-engine. The revolution of the cylinders through the air serves to keep the cylinders sufficiently cool without requiring the application Aof cooling- Water. That modification or form of engine has been made the subject-matter of another application-to Wit, Serial No. 57,452, filed April 25, 1901, entitled A Explosive-Engines. Reference is made to the same here to afford the proper point of View in considering certain of the broad claims presented in this case.

It will be understood, of course, that many of the details of the construction might be changed Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

l. The combination with an engine-shaft having a crank set at an oblique angle thereto, of a thrust ring loosely seated on the crank, at the same angle to the shaft as the crank itself, and a plurality of reciprocating engines having their pistons coupled to said thrust-ring, substantially as-described.

2. The combination With an Aengine-shaft having a crank set at an oblique angle to the axis of the shaft, of a thrust-ring loosely seated on `the crank at the same angle to the shaft as the crank itself, a plurality of reciprocating engines having their-pistons coupled to said thrust-ring, and means for preventing the rotation of the thrust-ring, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination with a plurality of engine-cylinders, of the engine-shaft having a crank set on an oblique angle to the cylinderaxes, the thrust-ring loosely seated on the crank and provided with a cross-head and guide restraining the same from rotary vmotion, and the reciprocating pistons in said cylinders coupled to said thrust-ring, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination with a plurality of engine-cylinders, of a shaft having a crank set at an oblique angle to the axes of said cylinders, reciprocating pistons in said cylinders coupled to said crank, a rotary controller having an internal gear engaging teeth on said shaft and provided with cams for operating the exhaust-valves of said engines with the properly-timed action for explosive-engines of the four-cycle type, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a plurality of engine-cylinders, of a shaft having a crank set at an oblique angle to the axes of said cylinders, reciprocating pistons in said cylinders coupled to said crank, a rotary controller having an internal gear engaging teeth on said shaft, With said gear-connected parts related as one to two, a series of cams on said controller for actuating the exhaust-valves of said engines7 electric igniters for said engines, and electric connections for the same, including a series of pairs of insulated contacts held in a stationary position, and a controllingcontact carried by said rotary controller for cooperation with said fixed pairs of contacts to close the circuit through the proper igniters in the proper succession, substantially as described.

6. The combination with an engine-shaft having a crank set at an oblique angle thereto, of a thrust-ring loosely seated on said crank, at the same angle to said shaft as said crank itself, and a plurality of reciprocating engines provided with yielding or spring pistous which are coupled to said thrust-ring, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WHITCOMB L. JUDSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN M. YOUNG, JOHN F. KINGWELL.

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